The United States clinched their fourth International Para Hockey Cup title with a 3-0 victory over Canada in Ostrava, Czech Republic. The U.S. team capitalized on a short-handed goal and a power-play goal to secure the win.
Declan Farmer was instrumental in the offensive efforts for the U.S., scoring a power-play goal in the second period and sealing the victory with an empty-net goal in the final minute of the game. American head coach David Hoff commended the team’s performance, emphasizing the solid effort displayed throughout the tournament.
Malik Jones initiated the scoring for the U.S. by intercepting a pass and netting a short-handed goal in the first period. Farmer extended the lead in the second period with a skillful goal near the crease. Griffin LaMarre’s 11 saves ensured a shutout victory for the U.S.
The U.S. team has maintained dominance in the IPH Cup, winning all four championships since the inaugural event in 2022. In the previous year, they secured a 5-3 victory over Canada in the same arena. The U.S. outshot Canada 23-11 in the game, with a particularly strong performance in the second period.
While the Americans converted one of their power-play opportunities, Canada struggled to capitalize on their five power-play chances. Canada’s path to the gold-medal game included a convincing 9-1 victory over Italy.
Looking ahead, Canada will host the Para Cup in Dawson Creek, B.C., as their final international competition before the Milan-Cortina Paralympics in March. Despite a 5-0 defeat to the U.S. in the 2022 Paralympic final, Canadian forward Greg Westlake expressed optimism for the upcoming season and emphasized the team’s unity and commitment to improvement.
